


Choices

by Fabrisse



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Post-Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:24:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At a university dinner, Lewis sees James anew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Lewis Roulette, Red 32, at Lewis Challenge on LJ. The prompt was the song _You Picked Me_ by A Fine Frenzy.

Hathaway heard it from gossip first. Doctor Hobson and Inspector Lewis had split up, and some in the canteen were taking sides. He put an end to the stories very quickly, by pointing out that two adults could make their own relationship decisions without anyone else’s approval -- and by threatening to take it to Innocent if he heard a word about it again.

***   
It was two weeks before they got a case difficult enough that it warranted Lewis’ involvement. It was unusual for a wave of quiet to accompany someone’s passage, but Lewis coming to the scene where Doctor Hobson was already examining the body caused one. 

Hobson smiled up at him. “Robbie, I was just telling James that this could be an accidental death. It’s unclear at this point.”

“Thank you for waiting until I got here to take a look.”

“No problem. James?”

Hathaway gave the okay for the coroner’s office to take the body after checking with Maddox that she had a clear sketch of the scene. They divided the dignitaries of the college and other witnesses between them and left Maddox to supervise SOCO.

The case itself turned out to be straightforward. The fire and death had been a tragic accident. The victim had fallen and hit his head against an andiron. The shawl he was wearing for warmth had caught fire and burned quickly. Since he was against the hearth, nothing else in the room had time to catch fire. It was an awful way to die, but there was no need to find a murderer.

Lewis’ and Hobson’s professionalism and warmth with each other had put paid to most of the rumors about their break-up, which made everyone’s life a little easier.

***   
Lewis held out his arm for Hobson, and she took it with a smile. Their friendship was still a little brittle -- even a mutually amicable break-up causes pain -- but they were getting through the worst of it quite quickly. It helped that they still enjoyed one another’s company.

Tonight was the big dinner for the end of the Michaelmas term at Saint Catherine’s College. Like Jean Innocent, Laura Hobson’s position often got her invitations to large social events, some of which, like this one, diplomacy demanded she attend. 

Lewis hadn’t minded fulfilling the role of escort for the evening, although the formal hire shop had mentioned they kept one suit in his size aside because he was in so often. 

There were drinks and hors d’oeuvres being served in the Fellows Common Room, one of the ancient wood paneled spaces found all over Oxford. “I wonder who’s playing Mister Innocent tonight,” Lewis said in Hobson’s ear. 

She took a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and nodded toward the corner.

Inspector Hathaway was hovering attentively at the Chief Superintendent’s elbow. Lewis took in his suit, and realized that every piece of it had to have been made for the man. 

Hobson giggled and said quietly, “You can tell which men are straight or gay in the room just by the way they’re reacting to James.”

“What?”

“The straight men are clinging to their wives and girlfriends and the gay men can’t keep their eyes off him.” She smiled at him and sipped her champagne.

“Well, look at him. He looks like something off of Downton Abbey.” He watched Hathaway offer a silver cigarette case to one of the women. He apparently had Innocent’s permission to escort the lady outside and inhale some nicotine.

“He does scrub up well,” Hobson said.

“‘The dishy Sergeant Hathaway,’ you called him once.”

“True. I did. I underrated him by a long chalk.” She looked at Lewis appraisingly.

“What?”

“Just wondering when you were going to put your eyes back in your head.”

Lewis rolled his eyes at her as the announcement was made that they were to go into dinner.

***   
Lewis found himself watching Hathaway at dinner. At least once, he missed a question from the person he was talking to because he found Hathaway so compelling. The woman next to him followed his eye line and smiled.

“Doctor Jeroboam is lucky to have found someone to talk to.”

Lewis smiled. “Inspector Hathaway. He was my sergeant for a long time and it doesn’t sound like he’s speaking Latin.”

“It’s Greek. Mine’s not good, but it sounds more like ancient than modern Greek.”

Lewis raised his eyebrows. “Are they that different? I mean I know English has changed a lot, had to do Chaucer for O-levels, but I thought a language used by scholars…”

“Still ends up evolving.”

“‘Course it does.”

They found a topic to discuss, and Lewis tried not to let his eyes stray in Hathaway’s direction.

***  
The speeches were mercifully brief and when the college was dismissed, the high table adjourned to a quieter room with a fireplace and comfortable chairs for coffee and brandy. Like the candlelight, the fire made Hathaway’s skin glow; it was almost like the intelligence blazing from him, Lewis thought.

Hathaway caught his eye and smiled before turning back to his conversation on the evolution of music in the seventeenth century. Lewis found that several members of the Senior Common Room were cricket fans and got caught up in a debate about the prospects for England regaining the ashes.

Hobson came up to him and said, “Jean and I live closer to each other. She said she’d give me a ride if you could get James home.”

“Not a problem.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

When the ladies left a few minutes later, he realized the evening was well and truly winding down. Hathaway’s discussion near the fireplace was still going, with a few more of the academics joining him, so Lewis found a quiet chair and watched him until the party broke up about half an hour later.

Hathaway found him and said, “You could have gone, Robbie. I’d have gotten a cab.”

“Nah, I was enjoying it, seeing you all posh.” He fished out his keys as they got their coats on. “In some ways, I felt like I was finally seeing you in your world.”

He lit a cigarette as they walked to the car. “Remember what Scarlet Mortmaigne said? That I wasn’t ‘one of us?’ “

“You’re not that kind of posh. You’re what one of my secondary school teachers called ‘one of nature’s aristocrats,’ but you’re an academic at heart. That case where you needed to know Greek drama would have told me that, if I hadn’t already known.”

Hathaway shrugged. “There’s a sense of peace within academia. All that’s important are the ideas. It’s a lovely refuge from time to time, but police work lets me deal with people. I need that, I think.” There was a long pause. “I certainly need you.”

Lewis was quiet. “You might be a Chief Inspector by now if you’d had a partner who pushed you.”

“I might be a lot of things, but without you, a policeman wouldn’t be one of them.”

Lewis nodded.

“But that wasn’t what I meant, not really. I meant that without you as an example, I might not have learned about love.”

“Go on. You had parents.” Lewis realized that it wasn’t the most tactful thing he could have said.

“Neither of whom played a large role in my adolescence or adulthood. The seminary may have been the place to learn about _agape_ , perhaps even some aspects of _philia_ , but hearing you talk about Mark or Lynn taught me about _storge_ and, and I would like to learn more about _eros_ from you.

“Good thing I was at a stop sign, lad.”

“I never dared hope, until I saw you watching me tonight. We can blame it on the brandy and never speak of it again, if you like. But tonight, well, tonight I had to dare.”

Lewis nodded to himself and made the turn for Hathaway’s apartment. “I’m flattered. I’ve never… men aren’t my specialty.”

“Flattered. I’ll forget it with tomorrow’s hangover then.”

“No, James, I… give a man a chance to think, why don’t you?”

“Of course.”

Lewis pulled into the parking space and said, “May I come up?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Never ‘sir’ anymore. We’re both inspectors and we’re friends.”

“Always, Robbie. Tea?”

“Can’t believe I’m asking, but have you got anything herbal?”

“Certainly.”

Lewis watched him walk to the kitchen all long legs and elegance in his dinner jacket.

When he came back with the tea things, his tie was undone and the top buttons were open on his shirt. Lewis stared at the bared skin in wonder.

“Robbie? It’s peppermint. I hope that’s all right.”

“It’s fine.”

There was an awkward silence.

“You’re handsome. That’s what I noticed tonight. Laura said she could tell which men were gay by the way they couldn’t take their eyes off you, and… I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

“I suppose it’s my turn to say ‘I’m flattered.’”

Lewis sipped his tea. Finally, he said, “It’s probably the worst thing I can say, but I’d like to try kissing you.”

“And if you don’t like it, we’re back to tomorrow’s hangover kills tonight’s memories?”

“I shouldn’t have…”

“Put down your teacup, Robbie.” 

His hands framed Lewis’ face and he leaned in to put the gentlest pressure on his lips. Lewis took a moment and then slid his arms around to pull Hathaway closer, opening his lips, hoping his friend would accept the invitation.

Hathaway moaned and leaned backward pulling Lewis with him. The kiss became searing in its heat until finally Lewis broke it, panting against Hathaway’s ear. “Well, that’s all right then.”

“Is it, Robbie? I want to take you to bed right now. I promise, we’ll only go as far as you’re comfortable. But if I wake up beside you tomorrow, I’ll never forget.”

Lewis stroked his cheek. “Wouldn’t want you to.” There was wonderment in his eyes. “I can’t believe you chose me.”


End file.
